I really like things being clean and organized. Unfortunately, I don’t always have the time to organize everything as I would like. Today, though, I was able to sort through my emails. I haven’t gone through and deleted emails for months, so I had over 10,000. Most of them were junk mail because I use that email for subscriptions and anything else I do not need to see right away. It was satisfying to have a clean inbox again though, and I added filters to help keep it clean in the future.
Clean
Something Good- Day 102
Our new renters needed some last minute help getting their old apartment cleaned out today. They had contracted with someone to get their place cleaned, but the person had a family emergency and had to cancel. The husband asked if either my sister or I would be willing to help for what he would have paid the other cleaners. I told my sister that I would split the money with her if she cleaned my house while I went to help clean the apartment. It was a lot of work to get the apartment in good condition, but it was nice to come back to a clean house. Then, we decided to use some of the money to buy food so we did not have to cook after cleaning all afternoon.
Something Good- Day 92 & 93
I did not want to write my something good post last night. My sister and I have been having symptoms of sickness since Sunday night. Our symptoms have been mild and ambiguous so far. We have had general body aches and fatigue, congestion and headaches, but nothing that would positively tell us if it was allergies or the flu or anything at this point. I just did not want to try to think of something good in my state of exhaustion.
I did wake up feeling somewhat better today, though that did not last long. I have been able to clean the house a bit and do some laundry over the past couple days. Although my body has been tired, I have completed essential chores each day and then watched movies with my sister to relax.
It is difficult to remain in good spirits while feeling unwell. I have been depressed and lethargic. I also have a shorter temper. I miss work and coworkers but am also grateful to know that I have a job to return to when I recover from whatever sickness this may be.
Something Good- Day 83
I love clean sheets!
The bank where I work decided to reduce our hours this week to limit our social exposure. I was excited to have a couple extra hours each day to clean and work on my house. My sister surprised me when I got home though with clean bedding! She had washed all my sheets and blankets, which is a lot because I sleep with about 8 blankets each night. I am excited to have a clean bed to sleep in tonight and to get some more cleaning done tomorrow!
Something Good- Day 29
It is nice to come home to a clean house. I was telling my sister yesterday that my bathroom was bothering me because it needed to be cleaned. She surprised me by cleaning it while I was working. I love having things where they belong. It gives me a sense of fulfillment and helps calm my anxiety. I actually organized a couple rooms at work today and wished I had the time to work on my own space, so it was especially nice to have my bathroom already cleaned for me!
Something Good- Day 1
A few years ago I had some Asian roommates that told me about their tradition of taking out the trash before the new year because they believed what you brought into the new year was what you got out of it. I wanted to start this year that same way- with a clean slate. Today we cleaned up everything, took out the trash, put away decorations, and organized the majority of the house. I am tired tonight, but it feels amazing to know my house is clean and that much closer to where I want it to be this year.
Cleanliness and Sensory Meltdowns
I need cleanliness, at least in some form. Dirt, dust, small particles, grime, anything that feels grainy or slimy makes me feel uncomfortable. When I cook, I wash my hands every chance I get because I can’t stand the feeling of my hands being wet or dirty. The feel or sound of stepping on crumbs is literally painful. Even the smell of dust can cause sensory discomfort. I can’t relax when I see potential sensory problems. I know until I feel comfortable in my environment, I will be irritable and on edge.
Going back home was really hard for me. It probably seems like I’m always cleaning when I go visit my family. I sweep the house and wipe off the counters and do the dishes. The thing is, everyone expects me to participate and have fun, but all I feel is discomfort. I feel trapped by the dirtiness around me. Everything isn’t excessively dirty, but there are lots of little things that aren’t taken care of. I see dust everywhere and the floor needs to be swept and vacuumed before I can relax.
My family doesn’t understand it. They just see a jerk who gets upset with everyone for no reason. The truth is, I’m dying inside. I want to run away and breakdown in tears because I can’t handle the sensory pressures. It’s too much for me. I get anxious and feel like I’m suffocating. And I hate it. I hate myself. I hate that I yell at everyone and get overwhelmed. It also doesn’t help that I’m usually around more people and little kids so the sensory pressures are even more prevalent.
Perhaps the most interesting thing about all of this is I don’t actually have to touch anything for it to be uncomfortable. Just the thought of touching it makes me anxious. That’s not to say I keep everything in my life immaculate, but things are clean. I don’t leave anything where I could step on it or touch it and get dirty. I keep things organized and avoid allowing things to pile up.
I worry about things not being clean. I worry about being too busy to clean. I worry that I will become a monster, a jerk, unbearable because I can’t handle the pressure. One of my biggest fears is exploding at someone I love because I’m stressed about my environment. And it happens more often than I want to admit.
I wish I could explain that it’s not the person. I don’t get angry with people. I get frustrated by situations and take out that frustration on people.
I wish I could tell them I love them and I’m sorry for how I’m acting because I know it’s ridiculous. I can sometimes explain this later if I can find the words, but during the situation I am an uncontrollable mess. I hate how I’m acting and who I am but I don’t always see a way to escape. And if there’s no escape, the only way to cope is to blow up or break down.
And I hate it and I hate myself, which only makes it worse because I know I’m ridiculous but it’s hard not to be. It’s hard to keep the pain inside instead, to feel my insides churn, my skin feels like it’s holding in a million tiny armies trying to march out of me and the pressure builds in my head until I get a headache and collapse from the strain of it all.
This is what a sensory meltdown feels like. You try so hard to handle everything that causes you pain until you can’t take the pain anymore. You try to act normal and like things don’t bother you, but they build just under the surface until the pain and discomfort is too much. You try to escape if you can, to find a place to let go where you won’t hurt anyone, but you can’t always escape. Sometimes people won’t let you or you can’t get out of the store fast enough or there’s no where to go.
And then you become someone you hate and that everyone else probably hates too, and you break because it will never be enough. You can never hold it all in. But you try again the next time and the next time, and you just pray that you can keep the monster inside yourself away from everyone else.
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Grateful for a Clean House
Tonight I invited people over for a movie night. No one came. It’s not the first time. I still remember the many birthdays spent alone, or maybe with that one friend who probably only came because her mom told her to.
But… I won’t let this define me. I can’t let it define me. It’s just one night. People still like me. People still care about me. It’s just a bad night. People are busy. That’s what I have to keep telling myself.
Tonight though, I can be grateful for a clean house. I partly cleaned because I expected people and partly because I had a day off and wanted to get the house clean. So even though I am disappointed that no one came, I am grateful it gave me motivation to clean up.
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